One Misty Night
by princess-katie
Summary: Oneshot. After his brother's death, Aberforth meets a woman who gives him her insight, and proves to be a pleasant aquaintance.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter as it is the property of the BBC**

**Author's Note: Just a random one-shot thing between Aberforth and someone else.**

One Misty Night

The white haired man stood behind the bar, wiping one of the glasses with an old tea towel, though there was little cleaning actually involved - he seemed to be making it dirtier if anything.

His blue eyes were trained on the door, as he waited for more business to arrive. There were few people in the bar - no more than 10.

They preferred The Three Broomsticks, he knew. It was more of a friendly place. But to hell with them, this was his pub.

It was as he was looking at the heavy oaken door, that it swung open with a bang, attracting the attentions of the other occupants of the dark, dank pub.

When they saw who it was, some nodded at her, whilst others merely looked, before all returned to their drinks.

A short, slightly pump woman, with dark brown hair which was steadily greying, and which fell down her back, approached the bar. Her usually rosy cheeks were not quite so bright, and her eyes were not the shining orbs they usually were. She wore plain black robes.

As she took a seat on one of the bar stools, Aberforth - landlord of the Hog's Head - leant over the bar, putting down the glass he'd "cleaned."

' Evening Annie,' he said with a nod.

Annie Burke was nearing 60, and owned the bookshop on the corner of Hogsmede village, and lived in the little flat above it. Aberforth didn't know her terribly well - she didn't come in to the bar much. He wasn't sure that she went into The Three Broomsticks either.

In fact, he wasn't sure of most of the details on her. She didn't seem to mix with the rest of the village much. He'd occasionaly see her in the street, and she'd stop to talk. She usually seemed like a friendly, cheery woman. Certainly she was good-natured enough.

' Evening Abe,' she said dull-ly. Dull, he thought, that didn't seem like her.

' Firewhiskey? ' he offered with a grunt.

' Double,' she replied, barely looking up at him.

' Double? ' he repeated, raising his eyebrows at her,' bad day? '

She laughed - a laughed that was out of place and un-nerving. It was humourless and cold,' More like bad times fullstop, wouldn't you say? We've got death eaters running around the place, You-Know-Who back causing havoc. Soon it'll be just like first time around,' she added darkly.

He handed her her drink in exchanged for a few coins,' Doesn't seem like there's much we can do about it,' he replied stiffly.

Annie nodded,' You got that right. Looks like we're all relying on this teenage school-boy. And the school's not even safe any more, is it? '

There was a pause as Aberforth looked out of the window, in the general direction of Hogwarts,' You mean the attack? ' he asked.

She nodded, following his gaze, out of the window.

' Unbelievabe,' she muttered, looking out of the window, out into the misty night,' Hogwarts was always known to be the safest place around. Then last night Death Eaters come and attack it. They could have killed some of the kids. '

Aberforth nodded,' But they didn't,' he said gruffly,' and people showed up to fight them, didn't they? '

There was a pause, before Annie turned back to face him, saying rather more softly,' And they killed Albus. '

Aberforth slowly turned to look at her,' Yeah. I know. Who doesn't know? He's a major celebrity, right? Only one You-Know-Who was ever afraid of. '

Annie tilted her head to one side as she surveyed his face,' You're allowed to be hurt, you know,' she said,' he's your _brother. '_

' I'm feeling a lot of things right now,' Aberforth said drily,' but hurt ain't the top of the list. '

' I don't understand you,' the bookshop owner told the bar-man,' you're so complicated. I mean - your brother is one of the greatest wizards ever to have lived and he's gone, but you don't even seem to care. The whole wizarding world is shaken up by it. But you. . . '

Aberforth looked up at herwith his blue twinkling eyes that were identical to his late brother's,' I feel something, Annie, don't get me wrong, he's my brother. But as for being the greates wizard who ever lived - well. He had a lot of faults. '

To his suprise, Annie smiled sadly.

Aberforth shook his head,' He made friends with the wrong sort of people when we were young, screwed things up with the family, and ended up being the reason for a lot of things that went wrong. '

His fist curled up into a ball, and his suprise was heightened when a hand lay on top of his gently,' Abe. Everyone does things wrong in life. And everyone thinks there's something wrong with their family. '

' Easy for you to say,' Abeforeth scoffed,' I bet you grew up with perfect happy parents and everything you wanted. '

The ageing woman smiled slightly, lines appearing around her mouth,' My family are strict purebloods. My father - Burke - comes from a long line of devout pure-bloods. My mother is a Black. Enough said. Most of the Black family are dark, dark wizards. My brother is Caractacus Burke - runs the dark arts shop in Knockturn alley. So you see, I know what it's like to come from a strange family. '

Aberforth said nothing.

Annie squeezed his hand before letting go,' Only difference is, your brother was always driven by love, and whatever mistakes you say be made in his youth, he most definitey made up for them. He was a good, very good, man. '

Aberforth merely nodded, taking in her words. Why didn't he talk to Annie Burke more? - she was a very insightful woman. She could be a good friend.

He watched as she brought her glass to her lips and downed the rest of the firewhisky, before slamming the glass down on the bar.

' Well,' she said,' I'm going to go home. '

' Will you be at the funeral? ' Aberorth asked, once again picking up the tea-towel.

Annie nodded, pulling her robes around her tighter, buttoning the topmost button with her thin, bony fingers,' I think the whole of the wizarding world might just be there. '

' Then I'll see you tomorrow,' the younger Dumbledore brother said, a hint of a smile daring to cross his face.

' I daresay you shall,' she replied, laying a hand on the door-handle of the oak.

As she yanked open the door and prepared to go out into the misty night, he called after her.

' Annie? Don't be a stranger, eh? '

The woman winked,' I'll see you around, Abe. '

It was only as she left, that it occured to Aberforth - no one ever called him _Abe. _Hmmm. He quite liked it.


End file.
